1) Basketball, 5:14 and 8:34 p.m. ET, CBS. The final four collide in the college tournament, with the winners meeting Monday for the championship. Tonight has Houston and Baylor, followed by UCLA and undefeated Gonzaga (shown here). Read more…
(Here are the five TV best-bets for Friday, April 2; feel free to use in any form – all or some, print and/or web)
1) “American Masters,” 9-10:30 p.m., PBS. When Doc Severinsen was 6, he insisted on learning the trumpet; his dad (a small-town dentist) preferred a violin. Doc (shown here) is still playing and touring, 87 years later. “You can’t say to Picasso, ‘Put the paintbrush down,’” his third wife says, adding that she’s “happy he’s with a trumpet player (Cathy Leach, a music professor) now.” Rippling with great music, this film views his diligence (including gym work-outs), plus pizzazz he molded with Johnny Carson. Read more…
1) “United States of Al” debut, 8:30 p.m., CBS. Chuck Lorre keeps preserving a fading art – comedies shot with multiple cameras, in front of an audience (when COVID allows). This one lacks the large laughs of his “Big Bang Theory” and “Mom,” but has lots of little ones, plus likable characters. Riley, a Marine, had Amalwir (“Al”) as his Afghan translator, friend and sometimes protector. Now Al reaches the U.S.; culture shocks begin for him and for Riley and his dad, sister and estranged wife (all shown here with Al). Read more…
1) “Good Trouble,” 10 p.m., Freeform. The young people in this Los Angeles co-op usually have scattered lives, jobs and relationships. But now a brilliant screenplay blends them together – with subtle bits of drama and romance, plus big bursts of humor. A “new moon” ceremony (soul-cleansing and such) involves six of the residents (four are shown here, in a previous episode) and three invitees. Then someone else arrives … as does a mysterious critter. It all builds to a daft and delightful crescendo. Read more…
1) “American Experience,” 9-11 p.m., PBS. Isaac Woodard was a Black veteran of World War II, still in uniform and heading home to South Carolina. He argued with a bus driver who didn’t want to make a rest-room stop; at the next stop, police jailed, beat and blinded him. The result had national impact: President Truman promptly desegregated the military and the federal government; a local judge became a pariah in his community as he spoke up for civil rights. It’s a powerful story, but a tough one to watch; for a modern racial view, “Soul of a Nation” (shown here) is the next item. Read more…
1) “Snowpiercer” season-finale, 9 and 10 p.m., TNT, rerunning at 11 and midnight. Wilford is in charge again, living in luxury and planning a carnival (really). Layton (Daveed Diggs, shown here in a previous episode) – formerly a revolutionary hero – is at the bottom, working with sewage. Still, he schemes to rescue Melanie, who left the train to gather vital information at a research station. These two hours are harsh, brutal and, as usual, beautifully crafted. Read more…
1) “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist” return, 9 p.m., NBC. After a seven-week pause, this odd delight steps into a new night, with Zoey(shown here in a previous episode) in a funk. She worries about a brother she likes, a co-worker she dislikes and friends who are opening a restaurant. She worries a lot; that happens when you can hear people’s thoughts via pop songs. She also clings to a sweet memory of her late father. But for all the gloom, this hour also has a large and joyous song-and-dance number and a great ending. Read more…
1) NAACP Image Awards, 8 p.m., CBS, BET, MTV, VH1 and more. After a decade of being on only one cable network, this returns to broadcast and beyond. Viola Davis is up for best actress in a movie (“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”) and TV (“How to Get Away With Murder”) and for entertainer of the year, alongside Regina King, Tyler Perry, D-Nice and Trevor Noah. Maxwell performs, Eddie Murphy (shown here in “Coming 2 America”) and Misty Copeland get special awards and presenters include Leslie Jones and JB Smoove. Read more…
1) Streaming. This is a busy day for the streamers. At the same time that Disney starts “Mighty Ducks” (see next paragraph) and continues Marvel’s “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” (shown here), others have series. Amazon Prime has animation for grown-ups, launching “Invincible”; Hulu has horror, with the season-finale of “Into the Dark.” Others have non-fiction – “Cocktails and Tall Tales with Ina Garten and Melissa McCarthy” debuts on Discovery+; “Nailed It” starts a new Netflix season, now with duos doing the baking. Read more…
1) “Superstore” series finale, 8-9 p.m., NBC. For six seasons, this has been a likable (if inconsistent) view of the rag-tag workers at a big-box store. Now the chain plans to close most of its stores; at corporate headquarters, Amy (America Ferrera, shown here in a previous episode) tries to help her former colleagues. They want to make this a “perfect store” – not easy when random body parts are found (again). There are some fairly funny moments (as usual) … and then “Superstore” has a terrific finish, giving viewers just what they’ve wanted. Read more…
